Shred Those Papers!

An FTC report released yesterday shows that a growing number of IL residents say they've been victims of identity theft. In 2004, 11,000 people complained that their identity was stolen. That's up 15% from 2003, when there were 9,700 complaints.

The most common form of identity theft is credit card fraud. A lot of thieves sift through gargabe bins to find account numbers or credit card applications. The best way to prevent this type of identity theft is to shred or tear up receipts and financial statements before they're thrown away. Easy enough to do, you can get your hands on a shredder for less than $25 these days. Shredding paper not only ensures your safety, but, if you're like us, you'll find it oddly satisfying to feed papers in and see them ripped into strips.